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  1. KudoZ™ Top
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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

How do you do?

Italian translation: see text

10:14 Jan 17, 2002
English to Italian translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / everyday
English term or phrase: How do you do?
When you meet another person...
Johku02
Finland
Local time: 13:27
Italian translation:see text
Explanation:
"Piacere" (slightly old-fashioned)
"Molto lieto" (if you are a man)
"Molto lieta" (if you are a woman)
Selected response from:

Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 12:27
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4see text
Laura Gentili
5 +3Piacere
Sabina Moscatelli
4 +1precisazione
Laura Gentili
5 -1Come va? / Come stai? / Come sta?
Massimo Lencioni
4buongiorno, buona sera
Karin Hellbom


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
see text


Explanation:
"Piacere" (slightly old-fashioned)
"Molto lieto" (if you are a man)
"Molto lieta" (if you are a woman)


Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 12:27
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Massimo Lencioni: this is the translation of "Nice to meet you"
2 mins
  -> Any dictionary gives "piacere" for "how do you do"!
agree  italia: Hai proprio ragione.:)))
8 mins
  -> grazie, italia, pensavo di essere diventata arterosclerotica!
agree  Blue Ink
2 hrs
agree  giogi: How do you do, è la formula tipica che siusa quando si incontra una persona per la prima volta!
1 day 2 hrs
agree  macciaio
1 day 5 hrs
agree  Simona Oliva (X)
1 day 11 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Come va? / Come stai? / Come sta?


Explanation:
To people you are on first name terms with (informal):
"Come va?" or "Come stai?"
To people you address with their last name (formal):
"Come sta?"

Massimo Lencioni
Local time: 12:27
Native speaker of: Italian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  italia: Si tratta di un modo molto formale di presentarsi, concordo pienamente con Laura!!!
3 mins
  -> ok, I took the question a bit too literal, my answer is ok if you really want to know how someone is doing. If you just say "How do you do" as a greeting without expecting an answer, Laura is definitely right (sorry Laura).
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Piacere


Explanation:
Piacere is not old-fashioned. It's the common form used by native-speakers.

Sabina Moscatelli
Italy
Local time: 12:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Giovanna Graziani
2 mins
agree  Neli
8 hrs
agree  giogi
1 day 2 hrs
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
precisazione


Explanation:
I lived in Milan for 36 years (I think I can consider myself a native speaker...) and people used to say that you should not say "piacere". Of course it's not a written rule, it has to do with very subtle nuances (which can obviously be ignored).
See also this passage:

Presentazioni

La presentazione necessita, ovviamente, di una terza persona che si preoccupa di far conoscere le parti.


La persona di minor riguardo viene presentata a quella di maggiore importanza. Quindi:
- l'uomo alla donna
- la persona con la quale si ha maggiore familiarità a quella che si conosce meno
- la giovane alla signora
- il giovane alla giovane
- la persona isolata alla coppia


Piacere, onoratissimo, fortunato, e così via, sono parole da evitare. La signora risponde con un sorriso, mentre l'uomo si dichiara "molto lieto". Il coniuge viene presentato nel modo più ovvio: mia moglie, mio marito. Evitando formule ridicole quali: la mia signora; il dottore X, mio marito; la mia metà...




Laura Gentili
Italy
Local time: 12:27
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marisapad: grande bon ton !
27 mins
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1 day 21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
buongiorno, buona sera


Explanation:
Nowadays you often say just "buongiorno" (before lunch) or "buona sera" (in the afternoon or night)when you meet a person, instead of "piacere" or "sono lieto".

Karin Hellbom
Italy
Local time: 12:27
Native speaker of: Swedish
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